Refrigerating device



y 13, 1950 H.'RODECK 2,515,840

REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1946 6 v F .5 9: 9 Z7 Patented July 18, 1950 3 STATES EPATENT OFFICE v j 2,515,840 I REFRIGERAUlING DEVICE Armin H. RodeckJWatertown, N. Y.

Application February 21, 1946, Serial No. 649,215

My invention relates on a similar principle as. that described in the U..S Patent No. 2,336,571, i.. e. the dissolution of aneutectic salt block in water, but with features implying an, important improvement upon the aforesaid construction. I

..It is the object of this invention to provide the sameeffeet: of controlled production of cold as in Patent No. 2,336,571, however without need of .a separate water receptacle or water compartment as described in said patent, economizing under otherwise-equal conditions 30% of the space occupied with the previous system.

- A further object of. the invention, is to provide a container'with oneror more resilient walls in order toaccommodate the cooler to the shape of the object to be cooled, like ice bags, ice caps,

cooling covers orlwrappings, ice water bottles, etc. and to provide means for regulating the contact between refrigerating salt and dissolving liquid;

in other wordscontrolling the production of cold. Another object is to provide a thin diaphragm asv a-partition .betweensalt and water as long as the-device is not being-used; said partition is to be pierced when cooling. is. needed. I

a A further object. of the invention is to provide a method of simple and fast regeneration of the used up salt after the. cooling action has ended, byevaporatingthe water in the same container used for the cooling process in order to reclaim the acting salt.

Another object: of I the invention relates to means for filling the device with liquid salt without letting the latter enter the resilient part of the device, f. i..the ice bag of the ice cap.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent frorn the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which I I I I Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical cross sectional View showingthe interior of the refrigerator,-

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view showing the, same kind of refrigerator, but with a I slightly tapered container,

' stretched to a straight surface on the bottom of the device,

Fig. 5 is a schematic vertical cross sectional View showing a fiat parallelepipedic form of the device,

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of a 3 Claims. (01. 62-434) to a refrigerating device coolingunit for rapid dehydration in its position for evaporating the water,

Fig. '7 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the same cooling unit, however in a position for letting the liquid salt solidify,

Fig- 8 shows a vertical cross section of the same cooling unit, but this time ready for cooling action. I

Fig. 1 shows the refrigerator with a block of salt 5 (in the upper part), the dissolving liquid 2 (in the lower part) and the resilient wall 3 (made f. i..of rubber) on the bottom of the container, which by means of the disk 4, thescrew 5 and the regulating nut 6 on the top of the device may be raised or lowered at will in order to achieve a more or less intimate contact between salt and water, and to control in this manner the production of cold.

The refrigerating container (as shown in Fig. 2), is slightly tapered so that, the salt block formed accordingto the smaller part of the cone, may slide freely in the wider i. e. upper part of the container where it is kept by the screw 5, the

regulating nut 6 and a, number of perforated disks 1 which are fastened to the screw spindle 5 and which are holding the salt block together as a compact mass, even when its lower part is already dissolved, while the cooling process is still going on.

from'turning by a suitable groove and a corresponding rib 9 in the container wall, until the point on the bottom end of the screw pierces the diaphragm achieving a connection between salt and water; the latter will rise because the resilient wall 3 (or any other resilient member inside the water compartment 2), being compressed when the diaphragm holder l0 after water has been filled in, is pressed in its right position, will expand as soon asthe pressure inside the compartment 2 is released. The contact between salt and water can be controlled at will by raising or lowering the salt block by means of the screw 5, turning the regulating nut 6 in the corresponding direction,

In both cases (as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). a thermostat may replace the action of the regulating nut. In Fig. 1 a bimetallic bow I I is shown in a schematical way for purpose of illustration, acting as a thermostat. When the temperature inside the cooler rises, the bimetallic bow moves the resilient wall upwards improving the contact between salt and water and increasin the production of cold, and vice versa. Thus the temperature of the device is kept automatically within close limits as long as there is solid salt to be dissolved.

In Fig. 3 the resilient wall is represented by the whole water compartment 2 which follows the shape of the body to be cooled (f. i. a bag or cap or soft cover); while the refrigerating salt is contained in the upper part I of the device with. the partition I2 perforated so that the water level raised by outside pressure on the resilient wall gets in contact with the salt and thus initiates the cooling action. When the cooling charge is used up, the knob I32 on the top of part I is removed and the solution poured out for regeneration, i. e. for evaporation of the water and for reclaiming: the hot salt in liquid but concentrated status; In order topour thissalt back into part I without. lettingitpenetrate: into part 2-, a clamp III (as shown. in Fig. 4), is temporarily-tightened-around part I in such amanner that the resilient wall forms a straightsurface underneath the perforated partition I2, beingstretched tight against .-it. The salt solidifies in this position while cooling down to room temperature whereupon the clamp is removed; the

device-beingready for thenext refrigeratinglacr tion. For starting it, acertainquantityofxwater is poured in through theopening on. the top of part I andfithereuponthe knob. l3'isscrewedin and tightened.

Instead of introducing the liquid salt in. the

device through-the opening on the top, part i may be manufactured with a. removable cover and the salt put in as a solid cake previously prepared-in its correct shape.

bychanging-the section. of I the holes in. partition I2; f i.-by=shifting a perforated=disk1 I5. (Fig.8) sideways; parallel to the partition. I25 by means of an eccentric for example, which..revo1vesin I2 and can be adjusted -bya screwdriver from the opening on-.the top- (removing: the knob- I59 4 eration starts and removed after complete solidification of the salt, leaving a hole in the latter (Fig. 8), A suitable number of holes I! are provided to discharge the steam during the regeneration; they are closed afterwards, while the concentrated solution solidifies (Fig. 7), by special plugs I8 which are equipped with resilient surfaces on their inside, to be moved by screw I9 or by a suitable thermostatic device, increasing or decreasing-f. the intimacy," of. contact between salt and water, when the cooler'isinactlon'.

While Fig. 6 shows the position of regeneration and Fig. 7 the position of solidification of the salt, Fig. 8' embodies the position of the refrigerator when it is ready for functioning, i. e. ready to receivethewater which is poured in through through-e hole in thesaltucake; To form-this hole, necessary for pouring in-the water and. for introducing the screwdriver to adjustthe temperature; arod isput into the-saltbefore it.S01id-=- ifies' and removed afterwards Fig; 6 illustrates a cooling unit iIllpOSitlOl'LfOI rapic'l: regeneration of the used. up salt. charge providinga large evaporating surface while the solution is boiling.- As-soon as the right 0011- i centration of the solutionisreached; the

the hole. left in the. salt by removing rod I6 as mentioned above. In this position part I is at the'to'p and the resilient surfaces of the plugs I8 are to be moved inwards achieving a close contact.between saltlandswater; I I

Iclaimas myzinventionz; I 1. Acasingmade in itsauppercpar-irof rigid material', in its/lower part;of:resiiient1materiaL-like rubber. and the like connected in an airtight manner with the uppen 'partiofcsaidcasingya fonmation'of. acompactedima'ss of refirigerating fmaterial in saidi uppen part, at solvent body. in said lowertpart and a. pert/ions;partitionlinbetweenito let the solvent penetrate into: said upper: part contacting.saidmefrigerating mass; whenta. pressure. is exerted: from. outside: upon, said: yielding part.

2; A' casingmadein itslupper pattofrlrigid material, inits. lower: partof. yielding. material, a formation. of: a compacted. mass. of refrigerating material in'saidiupper .partt, .avsol-vent' bodyvin said lower. part and: a. DBITViOllSf partition in; between to let the SOIVlltl penetrate) into. said dipper pant contacting: saidirefrigerating .mass when; an pressure is exerted; from! outside: upon. said yielding pant, .and'.means-;for changing-,tl1e-..permeability of said partition for. controllingthe passageaofzsolvent into; saidzupperrpart and consequently the productionpf: cold; anditemperafiure. attainecll 3. A casing. as. desoribediinz.-claim v1;.b11t: constructed: in its uppers" andilower parted-flat that itcan be-usedgfilledmitlr hotiwater, just. like ashot water bottle filled. with refrigeratingamaterial in saidiuppeii parttandsolvent intsaid lower part as a chilling water bottle.

. AR/MIN: H... RGDECK.

REFERENCES: GLTED The following referencesv are of record in-the file of-this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I I Date Number Name 1,525,168: Davidson .Feb. 3,, 1925 2,336,571.: Rodecle Dec,. 14,1943

FUREIGN PATEN'IS Number Country. Date.

368,441 Italy. 1 fret, 16,1939 

